Applying to the Graduate Program

Admission to the graduate program is through online application. Applicants must submit:

1. an official OR unofficial transcript from each college or university attended;
2. recent GRE scores, for the verbal, mathematical, and written portions of the exam;
3. three letters of recommendation from people who are familiar with the applicant's academic record;
4. a statement of purpose indicating the student's interests and career goals;
5. a writing sample of 15-25 double-spaced pages (preferably a paper from a course that illustrates the candidate's ability to write and to conduct research);
6. students from non-English-speaking countries should also submit a recent TOEFL score.

Applicants should go to the Graduate School website for more information on admission. Click here to access the online application for Political Science. There is no charge for online applications.

When making admission decisions, the Graduate Committee weighs all of the evidence - grades, recommendations, GRE's and TOEFL scores, writing sample and statement of purpose. Candidates should have an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.3, and a GPA of 3.5 in their major field. There is no minimum score for the GRE's, but students admitted usually average at least 625 on the verbal and mathematics components. The average TOEFL score for foreign students admitted is 600 (or 100 on the Internet-based test). Of course, strong letters of recommendation are also essential. In addition, we make sure that there is a fit between the student's interest and our scholarly expertise.